lady of yngvi.

The words seemed harsh, but Eyvel says them with an obvious tint of amusement, hands rested on her hips as she watched aspiring chefs of all kinds bustle about the mess hall, panicking about tomatoes and spices and what was her favorite food again?

In her capacity as a mercenary, Eyvel had offered her assistance in preparing for the festival in Baile. Their demands were large, and the pay that came with it? Even larger. The woman scoffs at herself. Not that a lady of Yngvi was particularly hurting for gold, but it would be nice to donate to the local charities and orphanages.

She wasn't a master chef, but she made meals for the Orgahil on occasion. 'Perks' of being one of the only women on the ship. Even during those years in Sigurd's army, she insisted on working for her own keep, fancy noblewoman or not. And when Mareeta, Little Leif, and Little Nan were still in her care, she cooked for them too.

Gods knew Finn was hopeless in that area.

Looking away from all the ruckus, her gaze lands on the person next to her—namely, the side of her sister's face. Edain. Even now, Eyvel was in shock that her sister had survived Belhalla... that she survived Grannvale.

She had even been the one to raise Seliph in Sigurd's place; the boy that would become the continent's hero.

...Though, she supposes she could say the same for herself and Lord Leif.

Still. She wishes she would have had that chance—that time—with her own children.

"Think you could test the stew, Sister? My sense of taste is alright, but I've no doubt yours is far better."

"oh, it's fine isn't it?" edain laughs lightheartedly, pressing her hand gently to her cheek. there's chaos in the kitchen— from the little bit that she can see peeking inside from afar— but honestly, edain doesn't mind it. "it sounds like she'll offer them a well paying job if they manage to curry her favor. wouldn't it be nice to help make someone's dream come true?" she suggests this with a point upward of her index finger and a playful tilt of her head.

that being said, edain doesn't blame her for not wanting to be what is essentially a training dummy for a chef.

He takes his blazer off and rolls it up into a makeshift pillow, seeing nothing else to it that he could do to make it any better.

“Here. With me now, Lady Edain,” he instructs vaguely as he brings himself back to supporting her, trying to guide her body down and over to laying on the makeshift cot he's made for her. Hovering over her body, he watches her reaction, testing the waters.

“I'll handle everything else as much as I can,” he tries to reassure, voice softer at last but no less earnest. “You don't need to worry...”

if she were a little more aware right now she might have noted the uncertainty in the way he tries to reassure her he can handle everything.

instead, she thinks of the dearly departed. of pink hair and a bright cheerful grin.

"if you had a staff in your hand right now you'd be just like your mother..." she laughs quietly, the sound of her voice bathed in melancholy. "she didn't have the tact that a cleric needs but she could take over healing duties for me like it was nothing, and..."

Her name wrenches from his throat, something between a warning and a plea, as she turns her back to him in the name of those she could yet care about.

(Just like before, just like always…!)

The villagers' plight do not concern Andrei, in the end. He had accepted the mission to send them the necessary supplies simply because he is capable of accomplishing such a task with ease, and will be compensated for it. He has no intention at all to fight a Crest Beast on their behalf.

But he still remembers the warmth of her hand upon his, a smile turned towards him from a much more familiar face. It hadn't been real, after all, replaced now by something colder, more distant, a back that turns away again and again. He doesn't even know if she would want him to fight on her behalf.

(But if he were to lose even this, would there truly be no hope left for him?)

he calls out her name and edain stops, turning back around to look at him in surprise. she didn't expect him to call out her much less— much less follow after her.

the crest beast lifts to the sky and edain tumbles forward from the mere force of the wind its flapping wings exerts. it flies over her head and edain realizes it's not going for her but for him.

he's going to die if she doesn't do something! she can't.. she won't let happen again!

The horses did not help. That he had to admit. 

They had been terribly quiet as this discussion had been going on, and when their frustrations were settled Sigurd resolved to give them a gift, for their patience and understanding. It was not everyday that two old friends could reunite in such a manner, and it was no one's fault that it needed coincide with their strike. 

Still, when one nickered awkwardly, tilting its head as though about to ask if they were all right, or perhaps could get a move on, Sigurd winced briefly and brought a finger to his lips, and gestured to Edain in his arms. 

The horse snorted, shaking its mane out and pawed at the ground gently before it strode forward and bumped against the wall of the stall. 

"Excuse me, I hate to barge into such a touching scene – madam, you may take as long as you'd like, of course, for whatever this man has done, but it is quite rude to do so here, when our discussions have been parlayed into his hands. We're still waiting for what's been promised." 

there are things to be done— needs to be met, as lord sigurd put it. edain pulls away abruptly upon remembering the knights of seiros still waiting for their steeds. she hadn't lived to fill her own needs in such a long time— that wasn't going to change here.

Seliph nods in response to her question, relieved that she has already seen them but also guilty. "Yes."

His mouth opens, only to close. The faint chatter from the other side of the double doors is growing louder. "Let's continue our conversation as we walk, Edain."

Turning left, he starts leading them away from the classrooms.

"I met Mother within the first weeks of my stay here. Father showed up some time after." Seliph glances in her direction with two purposes in mind. For one, he makes sure she is following. Secondly, he tries to read her expression. "I thought about writing to you about them so many times, Edain... But if someone had told me my parents were alive before I saw them for myself, I would have been skeptical." Especially after that imposter had made his appearance and dashed the hopes Mother had planted in Seliph's heart.

that single word— edain’s heart thunders in her chest, the chatter of the students in the background only making everything so much louder. seliph seems to be able to see right through her, so she follows behind him without any fuss. always the kindest of children, she thinks while watching his back.

“you’re a good child seliph. the only thing it would have made me think was that someone was trying to take advantage of you.” she chuckles, trying and failing to school her expression to calm. “it just would have made me come here all the more faster. you might be a grown adult now, but i still feel like i have to protect you sometimes…” even she can recognize when she worries a little too much over a now grown adult. 

It does help a little knowing that Edain was there with him. As much as her husband worries about keeping her safe, she worries about him too. Edain knows how he is and Deirdre knows there is no other healer better than her dear friend. "I hope you did not need to take care of him too much. But... I do know him."

"Lord Andrei?" he repeats. That's who he had assumed she had meant, but he was smart to not guess outright. There are mysteries in the spaces between her words, ones that Naesala does not think he'll uncover on his own. He thinks that he could reveal the nature of his and Andrei's relationship --

( and that would be ... what? exactly? that the two of them shared a few kisses, that Naesala cares about his well being, and allows himself thoughts of Andrei too often to be a coincidence? )

-- but Naesala isn't sure what words he should use. So, he settles instead: "Andrei is a... friend. I know him, we've spent some time together."

after all, if she were asked, there isn’t much she would be able to say to what is barely an acquaintance now. 

despite herself edain smiles as she looks down at her chest. “… i’m glad that he has friends here.” she would never claim to understand him, but if he really was alive then she would never want him to be alone without anyone at his side. she couldn’t think of a single person that deserved that kind of fate. 

"That's amazing..." he breathes. "You must be pretty important, Miss Edain." Then he blushes and his eyes lower again as he ducks his chin down into the collar of his shirt. "Th-thank you. My mother would be happy to hear you say that... When I'm at home, she's always reminding me about my manners. I can't take any credit for how Prince Leif turned out though. We really only met during the war, and it wasn't like we really had time to do the things friends usually do."

“don’t put yourself down like that.” she can’t help but stand and reach forward, patting him affectionately on the head like she would have her own son. “the bond made between two people fighting the same war can be stronger than even blood relation. there isn’t a single reason to think you didn’t do anything to help him change at all.” her smile turns warmer and far more genuine as she looks down at him. 

“modesty is a good trait to have… but it’s not bad to be proud of yourself once in a while either.” if there is anything he takes away from this conversaton, she hopes it’s that.

"That does look more concise, yeah. And still warm, too." With this guidance, he starts arranging the flowers a little more consciously than before. Oookay, this actually kinda makes sense.

"I'll never really be a designer," he muses with a small laugh as he observes his work for a moment, "but once you get the basics and stop trying to do everything at once, it does become easier." He looks up at Edain and grins. "Thanks for the help."

She looks at Leif with some measure of disbelief at first. When he arches a brow, she seems to make up her mind, grasping onto his proffered hand and holding on tight. Leif encourages the girl to sling her arm around his shoulder, silently asking her to lean on him for support.

“Let's go to the courtyard. Lady Edain, you're following, right??”

And with that and a hup!, the prince is off. The fresh air of the cool winter night hits, a pleasant breeze enough to be felt but not to completely frost coming through. Leif lets the young noblewoman off at one of the chairs intended for small one-on-one teatimes before he pulls a chair for Edain opposite of the gloomy girl, silently slipping one of his lilies on the seat for Edain to take.

He himself stays standing on the perimeter of the table.

“I should introduce myself... I'm Sofie, daughter of Baron Baltzine,” the girl tries to compose herself, but the tears are still streaming down her cheeks. “I'm going to be married off once I graduate the Officers Academy, and when war comes, my husband will force me to fight snff... and th-then I'll die for nothing!!”

“War?” Leif cocks his head, arms folded across his chest. “But what if war doesn't happen??”

edain follows after them, a sense of pride washing over her watching leif's back as he cares for another.

she nods her head towards leif in silent thanks before sitting down, tucking the lily left on the seat in her pocket. she would be sure to give him a tulip later— when there was not another to worry about.

ah. what a way to ask that question. he might be able to care for others, but there certainly is a lack of delicacy in the way he questions sofie. she's crying again— edain lets out a sigh. "it's easy to say that war will or won't happen." she gives leif a glance before leaning forward to take sofie's hands.

soft and delicate. this is a girl who hasn't known hardships up until now.

Sometimes, even he gets a bit tired of his own laser focusing.

"it's true what you have is a little chaotic. perhaps something a little more open and inviting then?" she suggests with a tilt of her head. "warmer colors invite a more calming feeling. and if it were me..." she picks out a few flowers from what he has.

she hopes that reassures him a little. "it's nice to finally meet you. she presses her hand to her chest in her own introduction. "my name is edain. i'm a professor for the blue lions, myself."

edain hums, looking at what little of his creation currently exists— that is, the small bunch of flowers he has. "well, let's see. what kind of feeling do you want to convey with this arrangement, claude?"

He shrugs his shoulders a little, rolls them back and pretends the ache from the earlier fight does not begin to settle in his hollow bones. He's fairly good at ignoring pain. "I'm glad I met you, you know. When my students fall during their flight instruction class, I'll send them to you."

The only reason they ever really fall is because it's funny for Naesala to allow them to do so, but he does not think it wise to add that comment.

“… i do, yes.” she finally speaks after a moment of (silent) deliberation on her end. she would never be the type to act like her family didn’t exist— no matter how terribly things had gone with them. andrei was still her little brother after everything, even if she didn’t understand how or why he was here in the monastery.